The present invention relates to a computer peripheral, such as a surgical instrument, capable of interfacing with a computer, such as a computer for performing a surgical simulation.
Medical practitioners commonly insert surgical instruments into living beings to perform diagnostic and/or treatment procedures. For example, an endoscope equipped at its end with a fiber optic video camera may be inserted through an orifice, such as a mouth, nose, or anus, to transmit visual images of internal tissues in a patient. The images may be provided on a display, such as a video monitor, to the medical practitioner who uses the visual image to direct the endoscope and to visually inspect for internal abnormalities indicative of diseased or potentially diseased states. In another procedure, an endovascular device can be inserted into the vasculature of a patient to, for example, perform angioplasty or place leads in or around the heart. Endoscopic and endovascular procedures are minimally invasive and are highly useful in providing detailed information on the health of an individual and in treating the individual, when indicated, thereby reducing the need for more invasive surgery.
However, the usefulness of instrument insertion procedures is dependent on the skill of the medical practitioner who is performing the procedure. For example, during colonoscopy, an endoscopic tube may be inserted through the rectum and into the colon to an insertion depth of several centimeters, often over 150 centimeters. Without proper skill and training, the medical practitioner may cause pain or discomfort to the patient, which may make it difficult to perform a thorough examination and may lessen the likelihood of the patient returning for follow-up visits or for later routine examinations. During bronchoscopy, a practitioner lacking proper skill may have difficulty properly navigating the bronchial passageways, manipulating biopsy instruments, or administering lidocaine while inserting a bronchoscope. In endovascular procedures, highly coordinated hand movements are necessary to safely and effectively guide and manipulate an endovascular device. These skills are best learned through iterative practice.
To reduce the amount of training that occurs on an actual patient, surgical instrument insertion procedures are often practiced by simulating the procedure. Cadavers have been used to train medical practitioners, but the costs, lack of availability, and health concerns limit their desirability. Additionally, in some situations, the cadaver does not ideally simulate the internal environment of a living being. Non-human animal testing is also undesirable for animal rights reasons and often for anatomical reasons. Previous computer simulations of instrument insertion procedures also have disadvantages. For example, the force sensations of the procedures are often not simulated and the forces needed to manipulate the instrument are often not authentic. Also, the insertion and/or removal of an instrument into an orifice has often been tedious and unrealistic or has been omitted from the simulation. In addition, it has been difficult to realistically simulate the insertion of long instruments, particularly while reducing the size of the simulator.
Thus, it is desirable to authentically simulate a procedure, such as a surgical instrument insertion procedure. It is also desirable to provide realistic force feedback during a simulated procedure. It is further desirable to reduce the size of a surgical simulator and to allow for the realistic simulation of the insertion of a long instrument. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a realistic simulation of an instrument's insertion into and/or removal from an orifice.